When you are used to being on mains power it is easy to lose sight of just how much energy is being consumed on a daily basis, it’s no wonder that people often don’t think much about sustainability. That was me and my Beloved a scant few weeks ago, since then we have been experiencing problems with our power supply and ended up with some nights where we had no power at all and therefore the fridge was off all night. I was a bit wound up about our upcoming wedding over a couple of days when the trouble started and the situation meant that I ended up getting even more wound up! You know that being relaxed would be a better way to navigate but being without power seems to trigger a very deep response of primal fear and helplessness.
Not having lights isn’t so bad and we love candles but when you are full of anxious tension it is hard to appreciate the gentle romanticism of candle light. I truly get now the way in which having a fridge that will keep our food cold is quite possibly the epitome of civilisation. Certainly I now have a much better sense of how much power is being used every day in houses all over this country. And while it has been challenging I am still glad to be living apart from that profligate system that is operating with old, dirty technology. It is also an opportunity to learn about sustainable practices which I am quite sure will be useful learning for our future.
Our time in the dark has put us a tad behind with wedding preparations but it is all coming along very nicely and I’m starting to get excited! So out of the darkness and into the light of day, sounds very much like our wedding themes which are all about bringing the dark and the light together. So the next time I post I will be a Mrs but don’t expect anything next week as I will most likely have a little break from this blog. Farewell as I enter into a wonderful new chapter, aho!
In Western culture we have little left in the way of ritual in our lives and when we do engage in some kind of ceremony the deeper meaning is often lost in the race to spend money and look good. A wedding is not just a chance to have a great party although that is certainly an important aspect. It is also an opportunity for people to come together in community, to connect and in many cases re-connect after long periods of separation. My Beloved and I are particularly looking forward to the eclectic mix that will be the selection of folk coming to help us celebrate our sacred union.
The peace and quiet continue as I am still without a phone and a decent internet connection, but apparently my noise is bigger! My long suffering Beloved has let me know that since I got disconnected from all that technology I am chattering even more than usual. And here I thought I was doing so well coping with not being able to connect at the drop of a hat! Luckily I am in a conscious relationship where we communicate very thoughtfully and my darling was able to let me know what he was experiencing. Even when you are considerate and take responsibility for yourself it can feel dreadful when hearing of how another is experiencing your energy. But without that communication there are just these feelings that no-one is acknowledging and sooner or later there is probably going to be some kind of conflict.
So the constant sea of change has brought my Beloved and I to live in a wooden cottage in the middle of national forest, off the grid and close to nature. We’ve had five nights and I am in love with this new lifestyle already! At the same time as landing here my phone has suddenly decided it doesn’t want to charge anymore and the wi fi is so intermittent it only works occasionally. It was a long weekend and so I had to let go of technology and the outside world and focus on settling in to our new home, to feel the wonderful space of nature unbridled. In the face of the trees and the birds and the distant views of the Glasshouse Mountains it was difficult to be concerned about my ailing phone, trust and patience seem to come more easily in this clean air.
Through the Vortex 